It calls for the character of the sheep. (John 10.27). The fact that Jesus chose five men by election, not been called, was because his work was yet to be accomplished, however, this category of choice ceased with the accomplishment of his work. Significantly, Judas Iscariot and Thomas belonged to this category.

THE SPIRIT OF MEEKNESS

The second ingredient of whom God chooses is meekness. A meek spirit will not do anything hastily. A meek spirit gives way to self-examination. When the word of God came to Jeremiah, he said “Ah Lord God! Behold I cannot speak: for I am a child”.

He confessed his inadequacies to God. We must be inadequate, intimidated, inferior, and humbled before God’s word to enable it influence our lives. We must continually decrease in personal worthiness and allow God’s word to increase worthily in us. The same thing happened to Moses. Scripture witness that Moses was very meek above all men who were upon the face of the earth (Numbers 12.3). Although Moses grew up in the palace of Pharaoh, he was unbothered by the pomp and pageantry of royalty (Hebrews 11.24-27), he chose rather to suffer affliction by wandering in the Median desert, until he found God.

He was a man of great contentment (Exodus 2.21), yet when he met God, he felt unqualified to be His errand boy. The greatest strength of a meek spirit is that it does not despise little things (Matthew 18.5), and would not ignore any detail. A meek spirit is a curious spirit (Exodus 3.2-3). Most people may witness the same scenario that Moses witnessed, and under the same circumstance, rather than turn to see as Moses did, would make haste, without discernment, and leave the vicinity to look for people to bring to the scene to "see", only to be liars at the end. That scene was for Moses’ sight alone, and he did not miss the purpose, because he had a meek spirit.

PASSION FOR SERVICE

When God demanded that Abraham sacrifice Isaac, although it was nearly naturally impossible to consider, yet because he had a passion to serve God, Abraham prepared and executed God’s demands. Moses found God, and being convinced that God was going with him on his assignment, left to meet Aaron in the wilderness, in the face of a death penalty that was awaiting him. To have a passion for service is to place ourselves at God’s disposal.

Romans 12.1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service and do not conform to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, THAT YOU MAY PROVE what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” because we pray always "thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven". It is necessary to understand that just as there is a second death (Revelation 21., there is also a second birth. When John the Baptist commenced his ministry, he made it clear that he came for a purpose; he located himself, by his mission, in the word of God. When he found the word, it sparked off his passion to fulfill scripture. He went out saying he was the one who Isaiah prophesied about as preceding the Messiah’s entrance into the world (Matthew 3.1-4).

It is only the man with the passion to serve who will locate God in scripture and hear him calling. The hearing fuels the passion. That passage in Isaiah that John the Baptist referred to made sense to him, and in it, he found a calling which by faith he took hold of, reinforcing his position with the prophesy of Malachi (Malachi 4.5-6). An Jesus said he is the greatest among earthly men.

The Jewish rulers were usually heard saying “the traditions of our fathers” and this did not go well with God’s arrangements. John the Baptist saw a need and took responsibility. He saw his mission as the messenger, to prepare the way of the Lord, and this fell in line with Malachi’s prophecy that Elijah would come before the Lord’s Day.

When two scriptures agree, conviction will take over. John saw his life woven around Prophet Elijah’s ministry. He came according to the calling and mannerism of Elijah (II Kings 1.7-. Elijah was quick to rebuke rulers, and never hesitated to pronounce consequences for national iniquities. This mannerism put the life of Elijah in danger, and cost John his life. It is all about passion for service. We have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us even as always (Hebrew 12.1).

John the Baptist pointed to Jesus Christ and his type of baptism, which brings the second birth. The first birth ensures salvation from death and the gift of grace to live. It admits into the Church. The second birth ensures power to live the life of faith and it admits into eternal life. The second birth makes us see ourselves in the past according to the vision we find in the word of God, this helps us know our mission for the present and find assurance for our place in the future.

We have become all things and all things are ours. We can prepare a place in the future for ourselves. Passion to serve comes in the second birth; it comes after self-examination and realization.

LEARNING TO PREVAIL

We must build up our experiences (II Corinthians 12.9). This is a process as learning is. Until we realize that our salvation is by grace and that it is a gift, we may not learn how to prevail. It is only in weakness that God demonstrates his strength, and his wisdom, he demonstrates in foolishness (Genesis 32.26-28)

James 5.16-18 “…the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man subject to like passion as we are and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain; and it rained not on earth for three years and six months. He prayed again, and the heavens gave rain and the earth brought forth its fruits”.

We must learn to stay our trust on the Lord and pray earnestly to sharpen our faith hold on him.

BEARING A MESSAGE

A man chosen of God must have a vital life-changing message from Jesus for the lost world. This is booking a place for the future (I Corinthians 3.11-15). A confession in a soul-moving movie says that of all the armies that have marched the earth, of all kings that have ruled, of all the navies that have conquered the seas, no name has affected human history like the name of Jesus, yet he was a solitary preacher who had no home, nor raised an army.

Romans 1:14-16 “I am a debtor both to the Greek, and the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes, to the Jews first, and also to the Greek”.

Apostle Paul pointed to three things: the vision he caught, his response to the vision and his determination to accomplish the mission in the vision. He caught a vision to preach, which made him a debtor and he was not ashamed of it.

Therefore, the five ingredients of a man chosen of God are:

He must be located, found and CHOSEN. God respects freewill.

He must POSSESS AN ATTITUDE OF HUMILITY, which enables learning

He must CATCH A VISION IN THE WORD OF GOD, for a personal experience (encounter, if you wish)

He must EXPERIENCE THE VISION, the mental development of the vision into a mission

He must INITIATE A MISSION, moving out into the neighbourhood with a message.

Without a personal message from God, you are not "in Church" even if you "go to Church".

God bless you all, Amen!

Culled from the book "Mystery of Unbelief" by Ini Akpan Morgan, CEO, The Apostolic Vision International (AVInt.)